Nevada City Today

Today Nevada City is a hotbed of cutting edge social, environmental, and sustainability organizations and movements, including indigenous cultures that are honoring their history.

As much as Nevada City has become an enclave of artists, activists, musicians, vagabonds, actors, and writers including a variety of renowned literary figures, environmental stewardship continues to play a significant role. Particularly when Nevada City hosts the largest environmental film festival in the nation, The Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival: a program of the South Yuba River Citizen’s League.

Originally organized as a grassroots campaign to defend the South Yuba River from several proposed hydropower dams in 1983, today SYRCL is known as the largest watershed organization in the nation.

Keeping with the tradition of stewardship, the City of Nevada City installed solar panels on a majority of its city-owned buildings in 2008, and utilizes a micro-turbine for hydro-electricity in the city’s waste-water treatment plant.

City officials have also taken the lead by preserving over 450 acres of open space throughout Nevada City by purchasing surrounding properties such as the iconic Nevada City backdrop known as Sugar Loaf (2010). To ensure public access to nature, bike paths, walking trails and ADA accessibility, the city also supported the establishment of a trail with interpretive signs to the city-owned Hirschman’s Pond.

Some latest trail developments include Tribute Trail and the Tribute Trail Bridge: a project recently spearheaded by American Rivers’ Nevada City based office, the Sierra Fund, and Bear Yuba Land Trust, both Nevada City based.

Another key reason for Nevada City’s powerful community ties has to do with their local radio station, KVMR, on the air for over three decades. “Music of the world, voice of the community.” KVMR can be heard in Sacramento, Marysville, Yuba City, Chico and the Truckee area.

The community is also proud of its local NCTV, a fledgling television station covering local government and community events ,while bringing a diverse range of voices to the air.

Nevada City is also the county seat, headquarters of the Tahoe National Forest, and a high-tech bub for businesses such as Telestream, Grass Valley Group, and 2Wire's design facility. And for the basics we have Robinson Timber, Inc for timber services, gas & diesel, and hauling.

You will also find located throughout Nevada City, a Railroad Museum, Firehouse Museum, the Doris Foley Library for Historical Research and the Searls Historical Library.

Organic farming, alternative medicine, a variety of spiritual disciplines, Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) and the very the popular Nevada City Farmers Market, “a Saturday morning community gathering,” are quickly becoming a way of life while local, sustainable producers and cottage industries are making a comeback.

Whether it’s our history, our people, our charm or our natural surroundings, Nevada City has a little bit of everything for anyone looking for a little civilization on the edge of wilderness.